If Only I Chose Him
by SellYourself2Fate
Summary: Ron and Hermione are still together, but Hermione's not exactly the happiest at home. One day, a trip to the grocery store changes everything.
1. Chapter 1

**So, um, just to make it clear, this is in Hermione's point of view. I hope you enjoy :3**

I opened my eyes that morning to see the sunlight peeking through the curtains. It was Monday. I turned to see Ron still sleeping beside me. He was always so cute when he slept. Again, I turned to check the time, it was seven-thirty.

"Ron, honey, it's time to get up." I nudged him.

"Fine more minutes." He rolled over.

"Alright then."

I got dressed and went downstairs to start breakfast. Not long after, Ron came trudging down the steps. He was still wearing his pajamas.

"Good morning." I said as I handed him some coffee.

"Good morning." He grumbled.

"Still tired, I see?"

"I couldn't sleep much last night."

"Why was that?"

"A little too much on my mind, I guess."

I left the conversation at that and focused on the eggs. Ron didn't like them overdone, and I could tell he was already in one of his moods. The last thing I wanted was to upset him. He took his anger out on me enough last night. Suddenly, I felt hands wrapping around my waist.

"Ouch." I said quietly.

"Sorry, did I bruise you there?"

"I think so." I scraped the eggs onto his plate. He turned me around.

"I'm really sorry I hit you. I was just in a bad mood, and then you irritated me even more by nagging me to invite Harry and Ginny over."

"No, I'm sorry. I should have never brought it up. It's just getting lonely around here and I thought we could use some company."

"Well, if you'd life, I'll ask Harry when I see him." He kissed my cheek.

"Alright, well eat up. We have to leave soon. Also, don't wait up for me when you get off. I'm just going to make a quick stop at the grocery store before I come back."

"Okay, sweetie."

Ron took his plate and sat down. I did the same, and then we left for work.

Afterwards, I apparated over to the grocery store. I strolled in, grabbed a cart, and took out the shopping list I wrote last night. The first thing written down was milk. After that was cheese, and then bread.

After about twenty minutes, I finally reached the last thing on the list, chicken cutlets. I made my way over to the poultry when I felt a tap on my left shoulder. Immediately I turned.

"Hermione?" It was Draco Malfoy.


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh! Hello, Malfoy." I said startled.

"Please, no need to use last names. Call me Draco."

"Well, Draco, how are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks, and yourself?"

"I'm great, thanks." Was he actually being nice?

"Well, that's good then. I just thought I'd say 'hi'. It's been so long since I've seen you."

He smiled and turned to walk away. That was odd. We were actually having a civilized conversation. Not once did he fit in the words "filthy little Mudblood". It felt nice.

"Draco." I called after him. He turned.

"Yes?" He replied.

"It was great to see you." I can't believe I just said that.

"It was great to see you too. Hey, um, maybe if you're up for it, would you like to get coffee sometime?" He asked shyly.

"Oh, well, I guess we could do that."

"If you'd rather not, that's okay."

"No, no, I think that'd be lovely."

"Alright, well, can I call you later and make an arrangement?"

"Sounds great." I smiled.

Everything about this situation was so strange. Since when did Malfoy acknowledge my existence in a positive way? Throughout all seven years at Hogwarts, all he ever did was insult me. I was pretty certain he hated me.

On the other hand, it was really nice talking to him. "Maybe he's changed." I thought. I mean, it has been a couple of years since we've graduated. Perhaps he's finally come around and accepted muggle borns.

So many other possibilities crossed my mind. However, they were interrupted when I noticed I had been in the store for over an hour. Ron would be worried.

"I'm home!" I called out as I walked through the door.

Ron was sitting on the couch, "How many groceries did you buy? You were gone for almost an hour and a half."

"Sorry, I just had a difficult time deciding which brands to buy." I lied.

"Well, I missed you." Ron came towards me and kissed me.

"I missed you too, honey." I gave him a hug. "I'm going to start dinner, anything in particular you might like?"

"Whatever you make will be just fine."

I pulled the roast from the bag and prepared it. Afterwards, I turned to pour myself a glass of wine. Before I could place it on the counter, the glass slipped from my hands and shattered on the ground. Ron jumped from the couch and ran into the kitchen.

"Damn." I said kneeling down to pick up some of the broken glass.

"What did you do?" He sounded irritated.

"I just dropped the glass by accident."

"You're such a reckless person." He rolled his eyes.

"Ron, it's fine, it's just a glass."

The back of his hand struck my face and the next thing I saw was the ground.

"You have no right to talk back to me." His voice was filled with anger.

"I'm sorry, dear." I looked down hoping he wouldn't see my tears.

"Just clean it up, and be careful next time."

I swept up the remains of the glass and I finished cooking dinner. "Dinner's ready, Ron!" I called.

We sat at the table in an awkward silence. I knew why he was quiet. This always happened. He'd hit me, and then he would refuse to make eye contact with me because he felt bad. Eventually he'd get the nerve to apologize.

"I'm sorry I hit you again." He said shamefully.

"It's fine. Hopefully it won't bruise." I said quietly.

"You know, sometimes you're just so careless. There are times when you only seem to think of yourself."

Every word that came out of his mouth angered me. I was the selfish one? Who takes care of him? Who made his dinner and did his laundry? I did, and all I was repaid with was his abuse. I had done nothing to deserve any of this.

"I'm selfish? You're joking right?" He rose from his seat.

"Sometimes you are."

"I do everything I can for you, and you actually have the nerve to call me self centered. Unbelievable."

I threw my fork down and stormed upstairs. Half way up the steps, I felt Ron pull me backwards and I tumbled down.

"I've told you over and over again not to talk back!" He yelled.

Every inch of my body was in pain. I just wanted to cry, but if Ron saw me crying he'd only hit me again. He kicked my side.

"How many times do I have to hit you before you get the message?"

I couldn't answer. All I could focus on was the pain I felt physically and emotionally. Ron had beaten me many times before. Naturally, I assumed that by now I would have left him. Although, I actually never had it in me to do it. I loved him. There was a part of me that insisted to stay because I believed that he'd stop. That he'd never do it again, and every time he proved me wrong.

I grabbed onto the railing of the stairs and pulled myself to my feet. I made my way up to the bedroom and crawled into bed. It wasn't very long before Ron came in to join me.

"I'm really sorry. I always promise to never do it again and then I do it." He hugged me.

"It's okay, really."

"It's not, but I'm so glad you're still here. I love you so much, Hermione. I would give you the world if you asked for it."

This was the Ron I stayed for. This was the Ron I fell so madly in love with. No matter when happens, he always shows he's sorry and that he loves me as much as I love him.


	3. Chapter 3

The following morning was just like the day before. Get up, get dressed, eat and leave for work. The day became interesting when I received a phone call from Draco.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hi, it's Draco. I was just calling to see when you'd like to grab that coffee."

"Any time's good for me."

"How about Thursday?"

It was official; Draco and I were going out for coffee on Thursday. To be honest, I was kind of excited. The only problem was Ron. Even though it was only coffee, he'd still get jealous and tell me I can't go. It also didn't help that Ron hated Draco's guts.

Maybe I could just tell Ron I was with Ginny. That way, he wouldn't expect me to be home so early and there was no issue with me being with her. It was his sister after all. I just hope he wouldn't ask her about it.

Later that day, I came home to see Ron already waiting for me.

"You look lovely." He said as he greeted me with a kiss.

"And you look dashing." I kissed him back.

"By the way, I hope you don't mind, I invited Harry and Ginny over for dinner."

"That's great! Thank you, dear." I kissed him.

I got started on dinner. Not long after the doorbell rang, and Harry and Ginny came in.

"Hi guys, how are you?" I asked.

"We're doing great, thanks." Replied Ginny, "Oh, let me help you with dinner."

Ron and Harry sat down in the living room to watch some quidditch on the television. Ginny joined me in the kitchen and took care of the stir fry.

"So, how are things at home?" I asked.

"They're good, what about you and Ron?"

"We're great."

"You guys have been together for quite some time now. Have you guys considered getting married yet?" Ginny asked playfully.

I laughed. "Well, I'd consider it. I certainly wouldn't mind being married to Ron."

"I can just see the wedding now. You guys can get married in a garden, and everyone would be there. Don't even get me started on the dress."

I giggled. "Oh, Ginny. You're funny."

"Don't tell me you've never thought about it. We're girls, it's what we do." She smiled.

"I don't know it's just such a big commitment. I don't know if I'm ready."

"But you guys are perfect for each other."

"Maybe, but I'm just not so sure sometimes."

We all sat down for dinner. It was really nice having people over. It'd been so long. Although, all I could really think about was Draco. I hated having to lie to Ron, but I didn't have much of a choice. There was no way he'd let me go. I also contemplated asking Ginny to cover for me if he ever did ask about us meeting, but that would mean I'd have to tell Ginny about our plans. Obviously that would make it look like I'm going behind Ron's back. Why was this so complicated? Honestly, it was just coffee. I knew though that if I told Ron he didn't have a say in what I do with things like that, he'd just beat me until I promised him I wouldn't go.

After Harry and Ginny left, I began to clean up the kitchen. This was probably my least favourite part of having people over; it was twice the clean-up. However, it was worth it. Tonight was fun. I hadn't seen Ginny in a while, and it was nice to see Harry as well.

As I was washing the dishes, I felt Ron come up from behind me and grab my hips.

"You look so pretty." His words were slurred. I think he drank just a bit too much wine.

"Well, thank you" I chuckled. He kissed my neck.

"Why don't you put those dishes down and go up to the bedroom?"

"I'm not really in the mood for that right now, Ron."

"Come on. It's been a while, and I know you want to."

He turned me around and kissed me. His hands were wandering. After a few minutes, he was trying to get me out of my clothes.

"Ron, I said I'm not in the mood tonight." He kept going. "Ron! Stop!"

I pushed him off of me. Since he was a little intoxicated, he stumbled backwards and fell onto the floor.

"You pushed me!" He exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, Ron. I really didn't push you that hard. You're just tipsy."

"You pushed me! I can't believe you!" He screamed and ran toward me.

I froze. He came towards me and pushed me back, throwing me into the cupboards. Ron kept screaming at me. I didn't know what to do. How much more of this could I take? I didn't have the strength to get up and leave. It wouldn't do me any good. He'd just find me and bring me back for more punching and kicking.

I couldn't understand what made him this way. He had never laid a finger on me until over a year ago. The only conclusion I could come up with was the alcohol, but he hit me even when he was sober.

I didn't want to live like this forever. I hated coming home with the fear of Ron hitting me again. I wanted Ron to be the same sweet guy that I grew up with.


	4. Chapter 4

It was finally Thursday. After all the things Ron and I went through over the past few days, I was really looking forward to having coffee with Draco. I know that we weren't exactly friends yet, but anything seemed better than staying home.

I made Ron his breakfast and we left for work. Once I got off, I gave Draco a call to make sure we were still meeting up.

As excited as I was, I was also so nervous. What if he stood me up? What if all this was just a joke? Then again, we were adults now. Pulling something like that would just be completely immature. Although, that didn't mean it wouldn't be humiliating if he did pull something like that.

I apparated over to the coffee shop and sat myself down to wait. It felt like time was going by so slow. I almost thought I was there for twenty minutes before I checked my watch to see that it had only been five minutes. The door opened and my head instantly focused on the figure walking in. It was him.

"Hi, I hope you weren't waiting here too long." He smiled and sat down.

"Only five minutes" I smiled back.

"So, how was your day?"

"It's been pretty good. What about you?"

"Pretty well, thanks."

We sipped our coffee. This was so awkward. I had no idea what to say.

"So, what do you do for a living now?" I asked trying to make conversation.

"Nothing much, I've just been around. What about you?"

"Oh, I got a job in the ministry."

"Congratulations, that's great. How is it?"

"I enjoy it. Ron got a job there as well."

"Did he? How's he been?"

"He's been really good."

"Do you, he, and Potter still see each other often?"

"I don't see Harry all that often, but Ron and I live together."

"I see." He looked down. "Well, I assume he treats you nicely. I could tell from the start he fancied you."

"Really?" I giggled.

"Yeah, ha-ha. You know it really is true, when a boy teases a girl, it means he likes them." He smiled.

As soon as he said that, the thought occurred to me, 'Does that mean Draco liked me at one point?' No, I thought. It was obvious the reason he treated me poorly was because he was a pure blood. If he showed me any signs of affection, he'd be labelled a blood traitor. His father would probably look down on him.

"Does that mean you liked me at one point?" No, no, no, I can't believe I just said that.

"Well, at one point, yes I did." He looked away shyly.

"Awe, that's so sweet. But I thought you hated me."

"If you knew how my family worked, you'd know that especially since my parents were death eaters, I had no choice but to show nothing but disrespect for muggle borns."

"I'm so sorry, Draco."

"It's fine, it's all over now. That's all that matters."

"You know, to be honest, it feels kind of weird having a civilized conversation with you."

"Oh…" He looked a little embarrassed.

"In a good way though. It's just that I'm so used to you insulting me." I smiled.

"You know, I'm really sorry for everything that I said to you when we were in Hogwarts. I didn't have a choice though. I couldn't betray my family. Especially not with them being so close to Voldemort."

"I understand. If it were me in your position, I'd probably do the same."

"Yeah," He looked down. "Well, at least all of that's over, right?"

Draco had such a dark past. I felt so sorry for him. It almost inspired me how he could smile as if everything was okay. However, now I knew why he was this way during Hogwarts.

We eventually went our separate ways after a couple of hours. I almost didn't want it to end. It made me a little sad thinking that I'd come home and have to put up with Ron's intoxication. He usually got into the wine or whiskey when I wasn't there to pull him away from it.

I really hated it when he was so careless. I was so concerned about him. He sometimes seemed like he needed the alcohol in his system. It wasn't healthy, and I didn't want him to hurt himself.

I walked in, and as expected, Ron was sprawled out on the couch with his glass a quarter-full of what seemed to be whiskey.

"Hi, hunny." I said to him as I walked into the kitchen.

"Hey," He grumbled. "How was your time with Ginny?"

"It was great. I brought you a scone if you want it."

"Thanks, I'll have it later."


End file.
